Daily Archives: November 22, 2013

 

I got this question from yesterday’s blog and it made me want to set the record straight…..  I really appreciate the question!!

 

 

This starts with a short story.  In my early years as a photographer I used to love to read articles, and publications from a photographer named George Lepp.  George was one of the original columnist of Outdoor Photographer Magazine, and still is!   When I first met George he was a Nikon shooter, he later switched to Canon and is highly supported by them. That didn’t keep him from being honest when evaluating equipment or products, he called it the way he saw it, which I’m sure did not always please Canon, but he was honest!   I came to trust him because I knew he had integrity.  My late father stressed to me that when it is all said and done we have nothing more valuable than our character, integrity, and our faith. I’ve tried very hard to always adhere to my father’s advice and follow George’s lead.

 

So to the answser to the question above is;

 

I worked for Nikon for 11 years as their NPS tech rep for the southern U.S.  I did my very best to always be honest with my customers and give them the best guidance I could.  Nikon paid me a salary and provided benefits, and I very much appreciate all they did for me.  However, that never affected what I said when I offered advice, I always told the truth. Fortunately my telling the truth was never a disadvantage to Nikon.  I believe my customers thought more of Nikon because they provided that kind of service to them, through me.  If I ask for some ones help, I  expect them to tell me the truth, and that is what I do.  I do the right thing, because I said I would.

 

I no longer work for Nikon.  I now write a blog, teach classes for my own company, for Jack Graham, and Kelby Training.  I appear before audiences all across America, and I only want to do one thing, make their lives better, because I was in it for a brief moment.  For my entire career I’ve believed that almost all companies in the photo industry make good products, some are better than others for their intended purpose, but most companies make very serviceable, cameras and lenses.  What you buy is up to you, I don’t benefit either way, I hope to offer my opinion, and they are only that, my opinions.  I do however have 43 years of industry experience to back up my opinions.

 

Do I work for Fuji?  No.  Do I work for Nikon?  No.   Do I work for Singh Ray filters?  No, or Think Tank, or Lowepro?  No.  I want to keep my position as a neutral source of information so I may be of real help to you!  Let me tell you how far I’ve gone to do that.  In late July I was contacted by Fuji and asked to send a photo of myself and a testimonial about how much I loved the Fuji X system for use in a 2 page spread, national ad.  I thanked them, but declined.  It was way to soon after leaving Nikon to appear in a competitors ad, even though I was happily using Fuji cameras. I wouldn’t do that to my friends at Nikon, I respect them to much, I owe them better than that, and I don’t want to be perceived as on the payroll for Fuji, which I am  not.  By-the-way, every piece of Fuji equipment I own was paid for, nothing has been given to me.  I was offered the chance to be used as a featured speaker representing Nikon yesterday, I said thank you, but no thanks, I am a free moral agent and I want to keep it that way.  Both of those decision cost me money, a lot of money, and some good exposure which for a blogger and workshop leaders is a valuable commodity, but it isn’t worth it to me.  I want people to come to this blog and know I will be honest in my evaluations of products, that matters more to me than the money.  Money can’t buy integrity, that must be earned.  While we are on the subject, some of the sponsors of my workshop company do provide some products for us to use and evaluate, but I receive nothing that I have not paid for to own long before I was sponsored by those companies.  In other words, if I promote a product, I first bought it with my own money, free stuff could not buy my loyalty.

 

Have I turned my back on Nikon?  No, I still own a significant amount of Nikon gear and still love it.  When I can have it handy, I still use it, I just can’t comfortably carry it in the field as I did when I was a younger man.  Do I still think Nikon makes great gear, you bet, 95% of everything I’ve shot in my career has been with Nikons going back to the Nikon F.  Do I think Fuji makes great gear, you bet, I am using it 95% of the time now and I’m getting wonderful results from it.  I can hear someone saying how can that be???!!!  Let me ask you a question, do you have children, more than one?   Do you love all of them?  Do you love them each in different ways, but all equally?  There you go.  My cameras and lenses are my photographic children, each are different and I love them all.  Are they equal, of course not, each have their own strengths and weaknesses but I still love them.  I also think Canon, Olympus, and Sony, Panasonic and Leica and many other camera companies make great stuff too!

 

I do this blog for two reasons; to spread my belief in and love for my God, and to share my great enthusiasm for photography and the wonderful people it has brought into my life.  One thing is for sure you can always come here knowing I will shoot straight with you, as best as I can.  I hope you believe me, but then, that is your call.

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim